


Magic Academy

by skeletonflight



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: F/M, Grief/Mourning, Love, Romance, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-14
Packaged: 2018-02-04 12:53:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1779790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeletonflight/pseuds/skeletonflight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valkyrie Cain may have seemed like a normal girl on the outside, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Her entire life she's been living a half-magic/half-mortal life, her parents giving her the opportunity to chose her own future as she wishes. She ends up enrolling into an academy built specifically for mages. There she learns how to hone in on her powers, but not without distraction from a certain skeleton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

My fingers slowly drummed on the soft material of the car seat. I watched rain patter against the window as we drove. My standard scowl adorned my face when we pulled into the school parking lot.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Valkyrie Cain. I am 16 years old, and today is the start of my first day at this new school. It's a magic school. My mother and father made the decision to send me here in the middle of the year to live in the dorms. Part of me was excited, another part was upset I had to be uprooted from my home to be sent to live here. I understand exactly why my parents have chosen to sign me up; I'm just not 100% happy about it. The school provides classes for all magic types, including Elemental, which is what I am. I can manipulate the elements, fire, water, earth, and air. It's a pretty neat trick.

"Here we are, honey," My mom's soft voice rang out. I glared up at the huge building. I had to admit, it was beautiful. It looked like a castle. Something out of a fairytale. She looked at me sadly, and gave me a small grin.

"Joy." I got out and pulled my suitcase out of the backseat. After my mother and I finished the formalities with class scheduling and dorm assignments with the office, I hugged my mother tight and we bid each other farewell. I trudged up the stairs to the dorms, manipulating the air to carry my luggage for me as I reached the 3rd and final floor.

"There it is," I muttered when I found my dorm room. I walked in, suddenly greeted by a sweet voice with a British accent.

"Hello! You must be my new roommate. I'm Tanith." Said the girl. She was pretty, and had long blond hair and was dressed in full leather.

"Hi, I'm Valkyrie." Setting my suitcase down, I reached out and shook her hand. Glancing around the room, I took in my surroundings. There were two beds on opposite sides of the room, and according to Tanith we each had our own closet. We made small talk for a few minutes when suddenly Tanith got this excited look on her face.

"It's a good thing you came on a Saturday. That gives me some time to show you around the school and meet some people. " Tanith grinned, jumping up. "C'mon. I'll show you around. The third floor is for the girls, and the second floor is for the guys. I don't understand how they managed to cram everyone in just one building, even with not everyone living here. Ah, no matter." She rambled, earning a small smile from me. We walked down to the bottom floor, which was, according to Tanith, "A place where we eat and try not to kill each other on the weekends." Making our way past the exit door and down the hallway, we came to a set of big double doors. They were wooden and filled with intricate designs that swirled around, almost seeming to slither across the grain. Walking in, we were greeted with the sounds of chattering and shouting, the room filled with about 50 other students.

"You look a little nervous," Tanith glanced at me.

"I am a tad. New school, new people.." I trailed off, blinking as Tanith grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. We weaved through tables and plump looking lounge chairs. All of a sudden, I heard a soft pop, and Tanith and I were suddenly stopped in our tracks by a boy with messy hair that appeared out of no where. A teleporter, I thought to myself.

"Get out of the way, Fletcher." Tanith groaned. The boy smirked.

"I like a girl who's feisty. Say, Tanith, are you still up for a nice midnight stroll tonight?"

"I was never up for anything with you." She glared down at him. He finally noticed me and reached out a hand.

"Hi, my name is Fletcher. Fletcher Renn. And you are?" Just as I was about to reply, Tanith yanked me past him.

"Leaving. Goodbye, Fletcher." I gave Tanith a questioning look. "That was Fletcher Renn. Annoying. Man-whore. Total scumbag, but he can be nice sometimes." With a roll of her eyes, she dismissed the subject. "Anyway, here we…" She trailed off with a large sigh when she saw Fletcher sitting at the table she had led me to. Two other guys sat there, a thin, white, tall looking man in a suit. I blanched a little when I noticed why he was so white—He was a skeleton. I shook off the shock and sat next to Tanith, who had plopped by the other guy, who had all of these scars running along his face.

"Hey, guys. " Tanith spoke, making herself comfortable.

"Who's your friend?" Said the skeleton, nodding toward me.

"This is Valkyrie. Valkyrie, this is Skulduggery Pleasant," She gestured toward the skeleton. "And this is Ghastly Bespoke." I gave them both a small wave. Fletcher sat beside Skulduggery, and had his eyes glued on Tanith who ignored him.

"You're a skeleton." I blurted out, immediately regretting it. I felt blood rush to my face. Tanith snickered, and Skulduggery let loose a low chuckle that sent chills down my spine.

"That I am." He responded, inspecting his sleeve before wiping off lint that wasn't there. I cocked my head to the side, staring at him for a few seconds.

"I guess you see something new every day." I mused, peering into his eye holes. "So what is life like here?" This time, Ghastly spoke up.

"Not very different from your average school, I presume. You go to classes to strengthen your magic skills, go to the standard English, Math, and Science classes, and try to figure out what you want to do with your life." Ghastly shrugged. " I, personally, would like to be a professional tailor, like my father."

"I'm studying to be a detective." Skulduggery said proudly, holding his chin up high.

"What about you Tanith?" I asked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure. I'd like to fight crime.. Something freelance. I don't like being tied down."

"I'll do anything as long as you're in my future, baby." Fletcher finally spoke up, gazing at Tanith. She rolled her eyes, and I saw Ghastly glare at him out of the corner of my eye. Trying to get the attention away from herself, Tanith turned to me.

"So, Valkyrie. What kind of magic are you?" She asked.

"Elemental," I responded, which this time earned me an eye roll. "What?" I asked, curious to what would have brought that response.

"Both Skulduggery and Ghastly are elemental. I'm an Adept, and as you saw before, Fletcher here is a Teleporter. Natural born, in both magic and annoyance." That earned a groan of protest from him and a snicker from Ghastly and I.

"What can you do with your magic?"

Tanith pondered that for a moment before answering. "Well, I can do a few things, but my favorite is being able to climb on walls and ceilings."

"Seriously? That's badass." I said, impressed.

"What, a walking, talking, breathing skeleton isn't impressive?" Skulduggery quipped, crossing his arms.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say you're breathing…" Skulduggery tilted his head at me in a way that I knew, if he had eyes, they would be staring at me, very unamused. I smiled at him as he shook his head.

"Youth these days."

"Hey, I doubt you're much older than I am. " I frowned.

"I may be in the skeleton of a 19 year old, dear Valkyrie, but I assure you I am many years older than you are."

I shrugged. "Well, I can't say you look good for your age." Tanith giggled.

"That's the good thing about this school. No matter how old you are, they let you in." She said. "Skulduggery is the only one here that has aged a few hundred years, however."

"Though, with my façade," Skulduggery interrupted, " I can look 19 again."

"Façade?" I asked, confused.

Skulduggery reached up and loosened his tie, pulling down his shirt to reveal his collarbone. It was adorned with an intricate tattoo. "This is a façade tattoo. All I have to do is touch this and it transforms me back into my full human body for however long I wish. I have to admit, though. Being a skeleton does have its perks. It's unnerving looking in the mirror and suddenly being a full human again, no matter how handsome the man looking back is." I blinked at him for a moment.

"I have to admit, that is pretty impressive." Skulduggery nodded, satisfied.

A few hours later, Tanith and I headed back to our room, bidding everyone farewell.

"So, what do you think of everyone?" She asked.

"Well, if everyone is as nice as Skulduggery and Ghastly and you are, I think I'll be alright."

"I can't guarantee that. There are a few people you could stand to stay away from." Tanith thought for a moment. "Fletcher, for one." I laughed. "I promise, I'll take care of you. The teachers are nice and mostly everyone stays out of your way if you just don't bother them."

I considered what she said for a few moments. "Well.. Alright."

"Trust me, Val. Monday will come and go and I assure you, everything will be okay." I smiled at her, thankful for having a roommate that wasn't crazy.

I lay down in bed shortly after, Tanith snoring softly in the bed across the room. I had settled down, moving all of my clothes into the small closet and recapping on the day.

So, I thought to myself. In one day, I moved schools, met a girl who can walk on the ceiling, skeleton-man who can turn himself back into a person, and a wanna-be tailor with scars all over his head. Not to mention a Teleporter who seems to be struggling with rejection.

Yeah. It was a pretty normal day…


	2. Chapter 2

Sunday came and went, and Monday morning hit me like a wrecking ball. Much to my distain, the academy had the same start schedule as my old school. Classes started at 8, which meant I had to wake up at 6:30 if I wanted to get to class in a good mood. I dragged myself out of bed, slowly making my way into the bathroom. After showering and fixing my hair, I dressed and stepped out to see Tanith awake and dressed.

"Hey! You excited?" She said, pulling her boots on. I shrugged, flopping down on the bed.

"I have to go get fitted for clothes apparently." I groaned. Tanith laughed.

"Ghastly's father does that," Tanith said, grabbing my arms and pulling me up. "It's not bad, I promise. It's protective clothing. It's saved me in the past."

Sighing, I trudged out to the stairs. After eating breakfast and scowling at everything that walked by, Tanith showed me to the tailors shop in the school building. It was just as beautiful inside the school as it was outside. We waved goodbye as I stepped into the shop.

"Valkyrie." I glanced up in surprise to see Ghastly standing there, smiling.

"Hey! I thought your father was going to be—"

"Ah, he is. I help him." He said as a tall man walked out from the back room.

"You must be Valkyrie Cain." He spoke. I nodded, reaching out to shake his hand. The resemblance between Ghastly and his father was uncanny. "Well, let's get started. What colors would you like?"

"Uhm, black. Black's fine." I said. He nodded approvingly.

"Ghastly, you may help her with her shoes."

"This way." Ghastly led me to a separate room. "Sit here." I sat, and a few minutes went by as he worked, instructing me to do whatever I needed to for him to, as his father put it, help me with my shoes. I was a little confused about the whole ordeal, but I suppose in a world of magic you have to keep an open mind about everything.

Even living in a world of magic, I thought, I haven't been out much. Going to this school might just be the thing I needed.

"So. Valkyrie." Ghastly said, hovering over the concoction he had me stick my feet in. "Why did you suddenly move here? Most kids come early, both in the year and in age."

"It wasn't my decision. My parent's wanted me to come... They said they wanted me to be able to choose which life I wanted, one with or without magic. They chose without, but I've always been drawn to it. I caught on young; I was setting things on fire as a baby." I grinned as Ghastly let out a small chuckle. "I can't help but feel like they're hiding something from me, though." I shrugged.

"Ah. Parent's do that. I'm sure they have good intentions."

"They always do." After that, Ghastly worked in silence for the next couple of minutes. He gestured for me to remove my feet. I shoved my tennis shoes back on and stood up, expecting to be measured.

"Your clothes will be ready in a few days." He said. I blinked, about to ask how, but decided against it. "What lesson do you have right now?"

"Magic conditioning." I said. "I'm not sure where it is.."

"I can show you. It's a good thing you came here early. You still have plenty of time left. I have to warn you, however, Mr. Bliss can be quite a scare."

"Mr. Bliss?" I asked as he led me out of the room and back into the hall.

"The strongest man you'll ever meet. The school is lucky to have him teaching everyone how to control their abilities better."

"How much more is there to learn?" I pondered out-loud.

"You would be surprised. Even Skulduggery learned a few things."

"You know, Tanith said Fletcher was arrogant, but it seems like Skulduggery has it in the bag."

"You haven't even seen the half of it," Ghastly laughed. "Just wait, Valkyrie. Skulduggery is a good man, but he has his moments."

"I bet." We came up to a large door.

"Here you are. Fighting lessons are also here, but I doubt you'll be thrown right into it. Who knows, Mr. Bliss surprises everyone."

"Oh.." I said. "Well, thank you for showing me around." Ghastly nodded and I entered the room.

Sometimes, life throws curve balls. Other times, you enter a room with a fire ball heading straight to your face.

I gasped, immediately summoning up moisture from the air and manifesting it toward the fire ball, dousing it just before it reached me.

"What the hell?" I said, looking around. I was met with a large room sectioned off by clear glass.

"Watch yourself, Scribe." A large man said. I glared at the offender, a short guy with long black hair. "Go make yourself useful." Scribe ran off to a different section, staring at his feet the whole time. The man walked over to me. "You must be Valkyrie Cain."

I nodded. "I am." I made eye contact with him, and felt all of the air disappear from my lungs. A deep coldness settled in the pit of my stomach.

"I am Mr. Bliss. I teach this class. Welcome." His eyes were ice blue. I made a mental note to not get on this teachers bad side. "I apologize for Scribe. He's never been able to catch on to things very well."

"It's fine, no one got hurt." I said, following him as he started to walk toward the dividers.

"Not this time." I raised my eyebrow, questioning, putting another mental note right beside the first one to not be stuck around Scribe in any moment of danger. "I take it you have already been to see Ghastly and his father?"

"Yeah, Ghastly said my clothes will be ready in a few days." Mr. Bliss nodded. We walked past people throwing punches and hitting each other with magic. I stared, fascinated.

I could get used to this. I thought, excited to be able to finally learn to properly fight. My parent's never gave me lessons, and I knew that if we weren't born into magic, they would have me locked away somewhere safe. Mr. Bliss led me to a spare section, walking into it.

"I assume you already know the fundamentals of magic?" I nodded. "From your little show back there, it seems your reflexes are up to speed also. I can train you to understand everything about fire, water, and air. We obviously do not encourage the use of earth, and I pray you are smart enough to never use it unless there is an emergency." I nodded again. "Good. Now let's get started."

For the next hour, Mr. Bliss talked to me about the elements and manipulating them. I threw so many fire balls, pushed the air at the glass wall attempting to get it to break, and tried pulling so much moisture from the air Mr. Bliss could swim in it.

"What happens if I get the glass to break?" I asked, throwing a ball of fire at it. I watched the flames dissipate.

"The glass will not break. Not by any student, however. This glass is enforced; only one who has fully mastered the elements will be able to shatter it."

"Has anyone ever broken it before?"

"Not since I've been teaching here."

"Hm." Mr. Bliss took a quick look at his watch.

"Class dismissed. Those who are here for Fighting, gather round." His voice boomed out. I stayed where I was, waiting for everyone. A few people stayed, walking over to where I was standing. A few of them glanced at me, leaning over to whisper something in their friend's ear. I rolled my eyes, tapping my shoe on the floor.

"Valkyrie." I looked over to see Skulduggery striding towards me, his hands in his pockets.

"Skulduggery! Hey. Finally a friendly.. er. Face."

"Ah, yes. Did you have conditioning just before this?"

"Yeah. I got a fire ball thrown at my face."

"That's not like Mr. Bliss to condone that. Did you survive?"

I gave Skulduggery a funny look. "I think so. And he didn't, this guy named Scribe is apparently a bit clumsy when it comes to magic."

"Scribe. Poor fool." Skulduggery laughed, patting me on the shoulder. Mr. Bliss started assigning partners, and thankfully stuck Skulduggery and I together.

"Pleasant, Cain. Pair up." Skulduggery nodded, and we started to walk to a divider before Mr. Bliss spoke up again. "Oh, and Skulduggery. I do realize Valkyrie may have good fighting abilities, but as a new student and as someone who is unknown to everyone on her skill, I ask you to use your façade to give her a fair chance."

I furrowed my brow, and once Skulduggery ad I made it to the section, I looked at him.

"Why would you using your façade make it easier on me?" I asked, pulling my hair back into a pony tail.

"Well, like I explained the other day, the façade turns me back into a full human. That includes muscles, skin, a beating heart, and lungs that can run out of breath." He shrugged, loosening his tie. "I understand Mr. Bliss's concern. I am an excellent fighter." Remembering Ghastly and I's previous conversation, a grin started creeping across my face, and I ducked my head to hide it. I heard Skulduggery take a deep breath, and once I got my composure back I glanced back up. And for the second time in one day, I got my breath robbed from me.

The long bones in his hand turned into long fingers, flexing as he adjusted his suit. His suit seemed to change size from his shapeless skeleton to the lean muscle that now covered the bone. He rolled his shoulders, now broad and full of power. His skull was now covered with smooth skin, a small shade of stubble covering his strong jawline. His eyes were wide, a bright green color. His hair was brown and messy, strangely fitting yet completely opposite of his immaculate suit.

Why he would chose to stay a skeleton the majority of the time, I will never know.

He started to unbutton his suit jacket, shucking it off and folding it gently, sitting it beside the glass wall along with his hat. Rolling his sleeves up, he sauntered over to me, cracking his knuckles.

"Ready to be beaten into the ground?" He said, forcing my attention up from his arms up to his face. He was lean, but I could see muscle coiled around his bones, ready to be put to use.

I laughed. "Ladies first." I said, cocking my head at him. He stared at me for a few moments, and then lunged.

I jumped, pushing my palms toward the earth and focusing on the air, propelling myself up. Skulduggery grabbed my leg, yanking me down. I hit the ground face first, groaning as I felt my cheek push into the floor.

"Using magic in a fist fight. Dirty dirty." Skulduggery taunted as I got up. This time I was the one rolling my shoulders.

"There are no rules of fighting. Keep it up, Cain." Mr. Bliss walked by. I smirked, and Skulduggery gave me an offended look.

"It appears you are mocking me, Valkyrie." I held my hands in front of me in a surrendering pose. Skulduggery's brow furrowed deep. "Are you doing what I think you're doing? Now Ms. Cain that's not-" I shoved my hands farther out, pushing the air toward him. He ducked, the wind rustling his hair. "I knew it." He muttered, diving for me again. I jumped backwards, trying to dodge his fists. I saw him stop for a split moment as he walked toward me, pushing me backwards. I took another step back and slipped, my butt hitting the floor. Looking down, I saw a small puddle of water where I was stepping at.

"Who's fighting dirty now?" I said, clicking my fingers. A flame grew in my hand, and I chunked it at Skulduggery. He easily dodged it, a smile skimming across his face.

"You're getting sloppy, Valkyrie." I scowled at him, jumping up and trying to displace the air around him. He seemed to know when and where I was going to manipulate it. I was starting to get frustrated, and I felt an angry blush start to prickle at my cheeks. "You have to watch your enemy. You have to see them. Feel them. Estimate their every move, and moves they would never do."

"I'm your enemy?" I asked, running toward him and throwing a few punches. He blocked every single one of them.

"Quite the opposite, Ms. Cain." Before I had time to think on that, he landed an elbow in my side, pushing the air out of my lungs. I gasped, moving to kick him. He blocked, grabbing ahold of my calf and twisting. I spun, one again finding myself about the meet the floor. I caught myself on my hands, shoving backwards and flipping, turning back around just as he was about to wrap his arm around my neck. I caught his elbow, twisting it around. He grunted in pain, but easily broke free. I swung a fist out again and he ducked, and I suddenly found myself with water running down my face. I sputtered, reeling back and trying to wipe my eyes clean. I heard Skulduggery move, and when I was finally able to see, I didn't see him anywhere. I blinked in confusion before realizing the mistake I made, spinning around a little too late.

Skulduggery smashed into me, shoving me to the floor. My head slammed into the ground and I groaned, trying to fight free. He laid one of his long legs across mine, keeping me from being able to kick. I managed to land one punch, but his hands quickly found my wrists, pinning them above me. Skulduggery used one hand to keep his full weight off of me. His eyes were gleaming in amusement. His hair was messed up even more, and his forehead sheened with moisture. A small droplet of sweat dripped off of his forehead and onto my cheek. I struggled to breathe, and I quite sure it was because we were just fighting.

"Good game. You could use a bit more training though." He smirked at me before standing back up, reaching out a hand to help me up. I glared at him for a few seconds before taking it, pulling myself to my feet.

"Ouch. That's gonna be sore tomorrow." I groaned, rubbing my shoulder. Skulduggery chuckled and walked toward his coat, sliding it on. I straightened out my own clothes, wiping the sweat off my face with my t-shirt and fixing my pony tail. By the time I glanced back at Skulduggery, he had already gotten his hat on and removed the façade. I glanced up and down his now skeletal frame.

What a difference muscle and skin can make on size. On your face, too..

Skulduggery made his way over, his hands once more in his pockets.

"I have to say, you gave me a bit more of a challenge than I thought you would. But, as usual, I came out on top." I rolled my eyes, sighing. "You're good, Cain."

"You too, Skulduggery. " His eye sockets seemed to focus on me, his head tilted to the side.

The day carried on, and I went to all the rest of my classes without incident. Thankfully, Mr. Bliss had let us shower before moving on to our next class, so I didn't do through the entire day smelling like body odor.

At the end of the day I stumbled into the dorm room, dead tired. Tanith and I didn't have any classes together, which was a great disappointment. I laid down face first on the bed, and I was asleep 5 minutes later.

My sleep was interrupted, however, when I heard Taniths laugh from outside the door. I checked my mobile, and was surprised to see that I had passed out for two hours. Tanith walked inside, a smile on her face. Glancing at the door, I saw the scarred head of Ghastly walk by.

"Hey! I should have figured you were here. How was your first day?" She exclaimed, plopping down on the bed beside me. I groaned, burrowing my head into the pillow. "I'm sorry, what was that? I don't speak grumpy." Leaning up, I looked at her. Her eyes were bright and excited.

"Well, I got fitted for my clothes, was lectured about magic for an hour, and got my ass kicked by a skeleton turned into a man. How's that for a first day?"

"Oooh, you got paired up with Skulduggery. I heard about that. Well from what some people are saying, he got his ass kicked a little bit, too."

"Hardly." I muttered.

"You'll get better at it. Well, I hope so. Someone needs to put him in his place other than Mr. Bliss." I looked at her questioningly at that, and she waved her hand, dismissing it. "You'll be a little bruised in the morning but you'll be fine."

Tanith and I sat and talked for a few hours, and I noticed any time Ghastly was brought up, her eyes would start to twinkle. I smiled on the inside.

They would be a cute couple. I thought, wondering if Ghastly returned her affections.

Eventually, the sun set and Tanith and I settled in for bed. I could already feel my muscles complaining at the work that they aren't used to. I stared at the wall for a few minutes, rolling today's memories through my mind.

The last thing I saw before I fell asleep was Skulduggery's emerald green eyes.


End file.
